Zero E xtinction
ALLIANCE FOR
Pinpointing and Preventing Imminent Extinctions
Introduction
T
he Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE), a joint initiative of 52 biodiversity conservation organizations, aims to prevent extinctions by identifying and safeguarding key sites, each one of
which is the last remaining refuge of one or more Endangered or Critically Endangered species.
AZE’s goal is to create a front line of defense against
extinction by eliminating threats and restoring habitat
to allow wildlife populations to rebound.
Extinction can be a natural process, but human activities have led to global extinction rates that are between
100 and 1,000 times higher than those typical of “recent” millennia. Habitat loss, commercial exploitation,
disease, and the introduction of invasive species have
reduced populations and ranges, and increased the
extinction risk for an ever-increasing proportion of the
approximately 26,000 species of terrestrial vertebrates.
Unless we stem the tide, our descendants will inherit a
biologically impoverished world, look back with regret,
and wonder why their parents and grandparents did
not act while they still could.
e purpose of our alliance is to identify sites in most
urgent need of conservation, and act together to prevent species extinctions. Because time is running out
for many important sites, our science must be iterative: it must begin with the crises we know about, and
expand its focus as new information emerges on the
status of species and their habitats.
To date, AZE has identified 595 sites that each represent the last refuge of one or more of the world’s most
highly threatened species. is report presents an overview of these sites, and explains how they were identified and how they can be protected. We hope that this
information will prompt a renewed worldwide effort
to prevent extinctions. We welcome the participation
of any group or individual sharing our concern for the
future of our planet’s biodiversity, and wishing to help
in this vital global endeavor.
e Alliance wishes to thank the many groups
and individuals that have made the AZE effort
to date possible. Please visit the AZE Website at
www.zeroextinction.org for a complete list of contributors and references, a recommended citation for this
report, more details about AZE’s methodology, and a
complete, searchable database of AZE sites.
w w w. z e r o ex t i n c t i o n . o r g
This report provides a summary of the Alliance for Zero
Extinction (AZE), its members, supporters, goals, methods, findings to date, and recommendations. AZE sites
have been divided into seven biogeographic regions, each
of which is profiled here with sites and species examples.
A complete, searchable database of AZE sites can be
found by visiting www.zeroextinction.org.
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Marvelous spatuletail Loddigesia mirabilis
Peru/Pomacochas
Photo by Heinz Plenge
AZE’s approach
AZE
is an alliance of like-minded organizations
working toward a common goal: averting
human-induced species extinctions.
AZE is first focusing on species that face extinction
either because their last remaining habitat is being
degraded at a local level, or because their tiny global
range makes them especially vulnerable to external
threats. Outside the scope of the Alliance, many AZE
members are also working to protect highly endangered species that are more wide-ranging and require
different conservation measures.
49% of AZE species are
found in the Neotropics.
Imperial parrot Amazona imperialis
Dominica/Morne Diablotin
Photo by M. Reynolds/World Parrot Trust
AZE used the following criteria to identify priority
sites (a site must meet all three to qualify):
1. Endangerment. An AZE site must contain at least
one Endangered (EN) or Critically Endangered
(CR) species, as listed on the IUCN Red List.
2. Irreplaceability. An AZE site should only be
designated if it is the sole area where an EN or
CR species occurs, contains the overwhelmingly
significant known resident population of the EN
or CR species, or contains the overwhelmingly
significant known population for one life history
segment (e.g. breeding or wintering) of the EN or
CR species.
3. Discreteness. e area must have a definable
boundary within which the character of habitats,
biological communities, and/or management issues
have more in common with each other than they
do with those in adjacent areas.
Additional information regarding the application of
these guidelines is provided on the AZE Website at:
www.zeroextinction.org.
AZE scientists working in collaboration with an international network of experts have so far identified 595
such sites that must be effectively protected to prevent
the extinction of 794 of the world’s most endangered
species (many sites have more than one AZE “trigger
species” confined to them).
To date, AZE has identified sites for those taxonomic
groups that have been globally assessed for threat level:
mammals, birds, some reptiles (crocodilians, iguanas,
turtles, and tortoises), amphibians, and conifers. Other
51% of AZE species
are amphibians.
Dusky gopher frog Rana sevosa
United States/Glen’s Pond in Desoto National Forest
Suzanne L. Collins/The Center for North American Herpetology
taxa will be added as data become available. By drawing global attention to these areas, we aim to prevent
the most imminent species extinctions. Once a systematic effort to conserve these sites and species is underway, AZE will expand its focus to additional areas, and
wider-ranging highly threatened species.
How does AZE fit in with other
global conservation initiatives?
Conservation scientists are rapidly developing maps
and databases that enhance our ability to set and agree
on global biodiversity conservation priorities. Biodiversity features that figure prominently in these efforts
include: areas that contain the entire global population
of a highly threatened species; regions that contain
the highest levels of species endemism; the biologically richest and most threatened hotspots; the most
biologically distinct and intact terrestrial, freshwater,
and marine ecoregions; and areas that support globally
outstanding biological phenomena (such as animal migration bottlenecks, and dense breeding aggregations).
AZE addresses the first of these categories, and complements existing conservation efforts by focusing on
a smaller spatial scale and shorter time horizon. Many
priority-setting programs identify areas where largescale sustained efforts will help ensure the conservation
of the full range of biodiversity over the long term;
AZE maps the specific locales where extinctions will
occur first without action.
To conserve representative biodiversity for the future,
we must focus on large landscapes as well as smaller
key sites. AZE provides a global blueprint for the most
urgent set of these key sites to protect.
103 sites contain more
than one AZE species.
Long-whiskered owlet Xenoglaux loweryi
Peru/Alto Mayo
Photo © J.P. O’Neill ,VIREO
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AZE: Global results overview
AZE Species by taxa
Conifers–23
Reptiles–15
Mammals–131
Birds–217
Amphibians–408
Clockwise from right: Hyla tapichalaca/Tapichalaca, Ecuador/Photo by Jose Coloma; Maui parrotbill Pseudonestor xanthophrys/East
Maui Watershed, United States/Photo by Zoological Society of San Diego; bridled nail-tailed wallaby Onychogalea fraenata/Taunton
National Park, Australia/Photo © Dave Watts; Mulanje cedarwood Widdringtonia whytei/Mulanje Massif, Malawi/Photo by Craig Hilton-Taylor;
smooth green snake Opheodrys vernalis/Photo by USFWS.
Mexico
Colombia
Brazil
Peru
Indonesia
China
Ecuador
Australia
Cuba
United States
Venezuela
India
Madagascar
Honduras
Philippines
Guatemala
63
48
39
31
29
23
19
18
18
18
18
16
16
14
11
9
Yellow-eared parrot Ognorhynchus icterotis
Colombia/Reservas Comunitarias Roncesvalles
Photo by Fundación ProAves, www.proaves.org.
AZE Site
median size
AZE Sites
by biome
Photos by Mike Parr
Countries with
most AZE Sites
Tropical moist forest–361 sites
Deserts and grassland–101 sites
29,000 acres, or 1.2%
the size of Yellowstone
National Park, United States
Temperate and boreal forest–57 sites
4
Tropical dry forest–39 sites
Tropical coniferous forest–37 sites
Photo by S.R. Brantley, USGS
The extinction wave builds and
heads to the continents
Known vertebrate
extinctions in the past
500 years
Islands-197
Continental lowlands-31
Continental mountains-17
Dodo, from “A German Menagerie Being a
Folio Collection of 1100 Illustrations of Mammals and Birds” by Edouard Poppig, 1841.
AZE species currently facing
imminent extinction
AZE Sites with five or
more trigger species
Massif de la Hotte, Haiti
13
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia
9
Chatham Islands, New Zealand
8
Islands-312
Continental
mountains-366
Continental lowlands-116
Mont Nimba, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia 6
Sierra Norte, Mexico
6
Morningside, Sri Lanka
6
Alakai Plateau, United States
5
East Maui Watershed, United States
5
Los Tuxtlas, Mexico
5
Mount Oku, Cameroon
5
Parques Nacional Turquino and
La Bayamesa, Cuba
5
Santa Tereza Municipality, Brazil
5
Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania
5
Rodrigues flying fox Pteropus rodricensis
Mauritius/Rodrigues
Photo by Thomas Kunz
Yellow-eared parrot
Ognorhynchus icterotis
Colombia/Reservas Comunitarias Roncesvalles
Photo by Fundación ProAves, www.proaves.org.
Protected vs unprotected AZE Sites
Protection Status
No. of Sites
Protected
Partially Protected
Unprotected
Protected status
currently unknown
204
86
257
48
Spectacled petrel Procellaria conspicillata
United Kingdom Overseas Territory/Inaccessible Island
Photo by Peter Ryan
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AZE Sites and Species Examples from the Region
St. Lawrence
Wood Buffalo
National Park
St. Paul
Vancouver Island
Shenandoah
National Park
Gunnison Basin
Bermuda
Guadalupe Island
Baja Islands
Gulf
Coast
Sierra
Madre
Oriental
Central
Mexico
Cozumel
Socorro Island
The 79 AZE sites in the region
appear in bright red.
Worthen's sparrow Spizella wortheni
Mexico/Saltillo savanna
Photo by Ray Bieber
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Volcano rabbit Romerolagus diazi
Mexico/Sur del Valle de México
Photo by Alejandro Velázquez
Ramsey Canyon leopard frog
Rana subaquavocalis
United States/Huachuca Mountains
Photo courtesy of the Phoenix Zoo
AZE Region Profile
North America
Biogeography
is AZE region is made up of Canada, the
United States (excluding Hawai’i), Mexico,
and the islands of Bermuda in the western
Atlantic Ocean. ese countries contain an
array of habitat types from the vast expanses
of Arctic tundra, boreal forests, and lakes in
the north; to mountain ranges that extend
from the western United States down through
Mexico; open grasslands in the center of the
continent; and extensive deciduous forests
along the eastern coastal belt. Large arid areas
and deserts also cross south into Mexico, and
significant tracts of tropical moist forest occur
in the southern part of the region, especially in
the Yucatan Peninsula.
A major feature of the region’s ecology is the
annual migration of more than one billion
neotropical migratory birds which spend the
winter principally in Mexico, the Caribbean,
and northern South America, and return to
breed as far north as the Arctic Circle.
AZE Sites and Species
Background photo/Mike Parr
Many of North America’s AZE species exist
on isolated islands. A cluster of islands off
Mexico’s Baja Peninsula supports a wide variety of endemic species, including the Bryant’s
woodrat (Isla Cedros) and Slevin’s mouse (Isla
Santa Catalina). Other AZE island species in
the North American region include Socorro
mockingbird, Cozumel coati, Bermuda
cedar, and Vancouver Island marmot.
in these rugged mountains include the Tuxtla
quail-dove and Tehuantapec jackrabbit.
e southern United States contains a number
of AZE sites sheltering species such as the Alabama red-bellied turtle and yellow-blotched
map turtle. e exciting, recent rediscovery
of the ivory-billed woodpecker in the Cache
River area of Arkansas will result in the designation of an additional AZE site in this area.
e Colorado Plateau and the taiga of northcentral Canada contain two other well-known
AZE species: the Gunnison sage-grouse and
the whooping crane.
Threats
Loss of habitat, conversion of land for agriculture, and introduced invasives are the biggest
threats to AZE sites and species in this region.
Total AZE sites in region: 79
Total AZE species in region: 100
Country with most AZE sites: Mexico: 63
Site with most AZE species: Sierra Norte, Mexico: 6
Only 40% of sites in the region are known to
have any legal protection
e Sierra Madre Occidental, Oriental, and
Norte mountain ranges of Mexico support
a diverse mixture of pine-oak, cloud forest,
and desert-like habitats. AZE species found
Ivory-billed woodpecker
Campephilus principalis
United States/Cache River area
Photo by Arthur Allen, colorized by George M. Sutton/
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
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AZE Sites and Species Examples from the Region
Greater Antilles
Lesser Antilles
Central
America
Andean
Chain
Galapagos
Brazil’s
Atlantic
Forests
Juan
Fernández
The 250 AZE sites in the region
appear in bright red.
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Fuertes’s parrot Hapalopsittaca fuertesi
Colombia/Reserva Natural El Mirador
Photo by Fundación ProAves, www.proaves.org
ough climate change will likely cause extinctions in
Golden poison frog Phyllobates terribilis
Colombia/Rio Saija
Photo by John White/CalPhoto
threats. We do not yet know what future technologies
Juan Fernández firecrown
Sephanoides fernandensis
Chile/Isla Robinson Crusoe
Photo by James Ownby
less we act now, we do know that AZE sites and species
the longer term, AZE sites face many more immediate
may help lessen the threat from climate change, but unare unlikely to still be around to benefit from them.
AZE Region Profile
Caribbean, and Central and South America
Biogeography
is hugely diverse region reaches south from
the Mexico-Guatemala border in the north to
Cape Horn, Chile, in the south. It includes
the isolated archipelagos of Galapagos and
Juan Fernández, and the Caribbean islands.
e region is characterized by a highly varied
topography and ecosystem diversity, which includes the high peaks of the Andes, vast tracts
of lush lowland tropical forests, dry forests,
high deserts and lakes, extensive wetlands,
seasonally flooded grasslands, and extensive
coastal mangrove forests.
AZE Sites and Species
Background photo/Paul Salaman
is region’s biodiversity is characterized by
exceptional levels of speciation among birds,
plants, and amphibians. Several hummingbirds (a group unique to the Americas), and
amphibians are micro-endemics, occurring in
tiny ranges as small as individual mountains
or valleys.
Several large clusters of AZE sites are found in
the region. e Andes combine high species
diversity and a high concentration of microendemics. AZE sites stretching from Colombia through Chile and Argentina harbor a
wide variety of AZE species, including the
Dahl’s toad-headed turtle, mountain grackle,
sapphire-bellied hummingbird, and many
amphibian species.
very high level of endemism, and lie in close
proximity to some of the most populated regions on the planet.
e Caribbean islands have many endemic
species, but like many other islands, are jeopardized by increasingly heavy development.
Some of the larger islands, such as Hispaniola,
have multiple AZE sites.
Threats
AZE sites in this region are under increasing
pressure from fast-growing human populations, and the associated problems of habitat
clearance and agricultural development.
Additional threats to this region include road
building, mining, and oil and other resource
extraction.
Total AZE sites in region: 250
Total AZE species in region: 332
Country with most AZE sites: Colombia: 48
Site with most AZE species: Massif de la Hotte,
Haiti, with 13 (all amphibians)
Only 40% of sites in the region are known to
have any legal protection
Massif de la Hotte, a mountainous region in
the southwestern corner of Haiti, contains the
most AZE species of any site in the region, all
of which are amphibians.
Another cluster of AZE sites is found in
Brazil’s Atlantic forests, which also have a
Jamaican ground iguana Cyclura collei
Jamaica/Hellshire Hills
Photo by Glenn Gerber, Zoological Society of San Diego
9
AZE Sites and Species Examples from the Region
Russia
Majorca
Azores
Kyrgyzstan
Sicily
Turkey
Iran
Afghanistan
Japan
Madeira
China
The 49 AZE sites in the region
appear in bright red.
Chinese alligator Alligator sinensis
China/Anhui Chinese Alligator National Nature Reserve
Photo by John White/CalPhoto
Khadrafi, Oman
Azores bullfinch Pyrrhula murina
Portugal/Azores, east of São Miguel
Photo by Leo J. R. Boon/Cursorius
Asia Minor spiny mouse Acomys cilicicus
Turkey/Silifke
Photo by Ahmet Karatas
Population viability depends on a complex set of factors. Small populations of many species can
persist and recover, as evidenced by the Seychelles magpie-robin, white rhino, Mauritius kestrel,
Mauritius parakeet, American bison, whooping crane, Laysan teal, black robin, short-tailed
albatross, and California condor.
10
Okinawa
AZE Region Profile
Europe, Central Asia, and Japan
Biogeography
is has the largest east-west reach of any AZE
region, and extends more than halfway around
the world. It spans from the tiny islands of
the Azores in the east-central Atlantic, encompassing the whole of Europe, the Middle
East, north-central Asia, China and Japan, and
reaches the north Pacific coast of Siberia at its
eastern limit.
e region is bounded on its south-central
flank by the world’s highest mountain chain,
the Himalayas. It also includes three large,
mostly land-locked seas, the Caspian, Black,
and Mediterranean. It has large tracts of deciduous and coniferous forest, rocky coastline,
the giant delta of the Danube River, and large
expanses of desert.
e temperate north has many mammal and
bird species in common with North America.
e two regions were once joined by the Bering Land Bridge, and both people and animals
migrated from Eurasia to North America for a
lengthy period.
AZE Sites and Species
Background photo/Martin Hale
In general, there are fewer AZE species in
temperate latitudes, since micro-endemism is
generally less prevalent in these regions.
Emei Shan, a mountain site sacred to Buddhists, is located in the southwest of Sichuan
province, China. is relatively undisturbed
area, covered with lush bamboo forests, contains the most AZE species of any site in the
region. Emei Shan is home to many of China’s
endemic birds, and several AZE-listed
amphibians.
species: the Iranian jerboa, the Dhofarian
shrew (Oman), and the Asia Minor spiny
mouse (Turkey).
A number of endemic island species also occur
in this region, including the Azores bullfinch
(Portugal), Okinawa rail (Japan), and the Sicilian fir (Italy).
Once additional plant taxa have been assessed
for the IUCN Red List, it is likely that more
AZE sites will be identified in the Mediterranean region, which combines high threat levels
with unusually high levels of plant endemism.
Threats
Human development and the resulting loss
of habitat are major problems in parts of this
region. European and Asian landscapes in
particular have been permanently changed by
centuries of deforestation and human settlement. Illegal hunting and overgrazing also
pose threats to AZE species and sites.
Total AZE sites in region: 49
Total AZE species in region: 54
Country with most AZE sites: China: 23
Site with most AZE species: Emei Shan, China, 4
Only 47% of sites in the region are known to have
any legal protection
e arid deserts and plains of the Middle East
contain several little-known AZE mammal
Okinawa rail Gallirallus okinawae
Japan/Yambaru, Northern Okinawa forest
Photo by Takuki Hanashiro/BirdLife
11
AZE Sites and Species Examples from the Region
Cape
Verde
West African
forests
Ethiopia
Cameroon
highlands
Sao Tome
and Principe
Albertine Rift
Seychelles
Eastern Arc
Mountains
Mauritius
Reunion
Madagascar
South Africa
The 76 AZE sites in the region
appear in bright red.
Giant-striped mongoose Galidictis grandidieri
Madagascar/Tsimanampetsotsa
Strict Nature Reserve
Photo by Chris Wozencraft
Flat-backed spider tortoise
Pyxis planicauda
Madagascar/Menabe Forest
Photo by John Behler, Bronx Zoo/WCS
Mont Nimba viviparous toad
Nimbaphrynoides occidentalis
Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia/Mont Nimba
Photo by Piotr Naskrecki
12
AZE is not only compatible with other biodiversity conservation approaches, but complementary and mutually
reinforcing. AZE maps the specific locales within priority
areas where extinctions will, without action, occur first .
AZE Region Profile
Africa and Madagascar
Biogeography
e landscapes represented within this expansive region are extremely diverse. e Sahara
Desert dominates the North African countries,
giving way to the agriculturally productive Sahel region in the south, which transitions into
the lowland forests of West and Central Africa.
To the east, the highly fragmented Guinea forests open into the vast, relatively intact rainforests of the Congo Basin. eir eastern edge
is flanked by the Albertine Rift, a series of
mountain chains separating the western moist
forests from the wooded and savanna mosaics
of East Africa.
To the north lie the Ethiopian Highlands, and
to the southeast the Eastern Arc Mountains,
which continue through the Southern Highlands of Tanzania south to the Chimanimani
Highlands of Zimbabwe.
Coastal forest fringes much of eastern Africa,
and at its southern edge gives way to the
unique Mediterranean fynbos vegetation,
with its remarkable floristic endemism.
Madagascar is the world’s fourth-largest island.
It consists of a series of high central plateaus
and mountains, with eastern and southern
coastal areas that contain tropical dry forests,
deserts, and xeric shrublands.
Background photo/Mike Parr
AZE Sites and Species
Isolated islands and ecologically isolated
mountain peaks dominate the bulk of the
African AZE sites. ere are clusters of sites
along the Semandou Range in Guinea, on Mt.
Cameroon, and on peaks elsewhere in West
Africa. Mont Nimba, which contains the most
AZE species of any site in the region, shelters
the Mont Nimba viviparous toad, which is the
world’s only known tailless amphibian that is
totally viviparous (bearing live young). Several
other amphibian species and Wimmer’s shrew
round out the list of AZE species at this site.
e Eastern Arc mountains of Tanzania hold
the largest cluster of AZE sites on the African
mainland, where AZE species such as the
Usambara akalat (an Old World flycatcher),
Uluguru bush-shrike, and a variety of amphibian species occur.
e island of Madagascar boasts the most
AZE species and sites in the region. Mammals
such as the golden-brown mouse lemur and
golden-crowned sifaka occur here, along with
reptiles such as the angonoka and flat-backed
spider tortoise.
Threats
Resource exploitation and habitat destruction
pose major threats to AZE sites in this region.
Madagascar suffers from some of the worst
land degradation and erosion in the world–
only about 17 percent of the original vegetation remains, with most remaining forests now
found along the coasts.
Total AZE sites in region: 76
Total AZE species in region: 122
Country with most AZE sites: Tanzania: 9
Site with most AZE species: Mont Nimba,
Côte D’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, with 6
Only 60% of sites in the region are known to
have any legal protection
Golden-crowned sifaka Propithecus tattersalli
Madagascar/Daraina Forest
Photo by David Haring/Duke University Primate Center
13
AZE Sites and Species Examples from the Region
Panjgur
Himalayas
Kapildhara Falls
Bangladesh
India
Philippines
Western Ghats
Indochina
Sri Lanka
Malaysian Peninsula
Borneo
Sumatra
The 72 AZE sites in the region
appear in bright red.
Kirthisinghe’s rock frog
Nannophrys marmorata
Sri Lanka/Knuckles Forest Reserve
Photo by Don Church
14
Caerulean paradise-flycatcher
Eutrichomyias rowleyi
Indonesia/Gunung Sahendaruman
Photo by Jon Riley/BirdLife
Sulawesi
Java
Christmas Island
Lesser Sundas
Roti Island snake-necked turtle
Chelodina mccordi
Indonesia/Roti Island
Photo by R. Andrew Odum,The Toledo Zoo
AZE Region Profile
Indo-Malaya
Biogeography
e continental portion of this region encompasses the Indian subcontinent and continues
east to include Indochina and peninsular
Malaysia. e region also extends south and
east to include the Philippine and Indonesian
archipelagos, though it does not include New
Guinea, which is grouped with Australasia and
the Pacific by AZE. e region’s northernmost
border is formed by the towering Himalayan
mountain range, which contains a broad variety of alpine meadows, temperate broadleaf
and coniferous forests, and grasslands.
e Indian subcontinent and Indochina contain vast swaths of moist forest, tropical savanna, and extensive arid areas. Flooded grasslands
and mangroves are concentrated around the
deltas of the region’s largest rivers. e Philippine and Malaysian-Indonesian archipelagos
are dominated by tropical forest. Muddy shores
are lined with mangroves, which give way to
large peat-swamp forests inland. Montane and
subalpine forests, dominated by rhododendrons, cover the mountains.
Approximately 17 percent of the world’s bird
species occur in the Indonesian archipelago.
AZE species include the Bali starling, red-andblue lory, Siau scops-owl, and Banggai crow.
Threats
AZE sites in the Indo-Malayan region are
threatened primarily by human population
growth and habitat conversion.
e forests of the Western Ghats and Sri
Lanka have been dramatically impacted by the
demand for timber and agricultural land. e
remaining forests are heavily fragmented. Agriculture, logging, and poaching are continuing
threats to the region’s protected areas.
Total AZE sites in region: 72
Total AZE species in region: 98
Country with most AZE sites: Indonesia: 29
Site with most AZE species: Morningside Plains,
Sri Lanka: 6
Only 49% of sites in the region are known to have
any legal protection
AZE Sites and Species
AZE species in India include the pygmy hog,
Peter’s tube-nosed bat, and the Andaman
shrew. e Western Ghats contain a number
of AZE-listed amphibians.
Background photo/Don Church
e tropical rainforests of Morningside, Sri
Lanka contain the greatest number of AZE
species of any site in this region, most of
which are amphibians. In total, the island is
home to more than 100 species of frog.
Javan rhinoceros Rhinoceros sondaicus
Indonesia/Ujung Kulon
Photo by Klaus Lang
15
AZE Sites and Species Examples from the Region
Hawaii
Marianas
Micronesia
New Guinea
Marquesas
Solomon
Islands
Polynesia
New
Caledonia
Great
Dividing
Range
Fiji
Norfolk Island
Two Peoples
Bay
Kangaroo
Island
Lord Howe
Island
New Zealand
Chatham Island
Campbell Island
The 66 AZE sites in the region
appear in bright red.
16
Puaiohi Myadestes palmeri
United States/Alakai’i Plateau, Kaua’i
Photo by Jim Denny
If we are to save the broad range of biodiversity on Earth,
Northern hairy-nosed wombat
Lasiorhinus krefftii
Australia/Epping Forest National Park
Photo by Alan Horsup, Queensland Parks &
Wildlife Service
est number of species, or solely by saving areas that are
Conifer Dacrydium guillauminii
New Caledonia/Plaine des Lacs
Photo by Timothy Waters
and sites would also result in significant and irreversible
we cannot do so only by saving areas that have the largnot degraded. Many species are confined to small, highly
threatened areas. To ignore conservation of these species
biodiversity loss.
AZE Region Profile
Australasia and Pacific
Biogeography
Encompassing the terrestrial habitats scattered
across the Pacific Ocean, this region includes
the Australian continent, the islands of New
Guinea and New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, and the Hawaiian Islands.
ere are a considerable variety of habitats
represented across the region. Australia contains extensive deserts, grasslands, and forests.
New Guinea, to the north, is the world’s
second largest island, and is one of just three
major tropical rainforest wilderness areas on
the planet. e islands of the Solomons, New
Guinea, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia are
among the world’s outstanding natural laboratories for species evolution. New Zealand encompasses subtropical to subantarctic habitats.
AZE Sites and Species
Australia is well known for its species uniqueness and diversity. e Great Dividing Range,
a series of mountains and plateaus curving
along the eastern coast, encompasses a cluster
of AZE sites with species such as tapping nursery-frog, armored frog, and Wollemi pine.
Background photo/Mike Parr
All the island archipelagos in the region exhibit high levels of endemism. New Zealand’s
Chatham Islands hold the most AZE species
for a single site in the region, and includes
endemics such as Forbes’s parakeet, Chatham
Island oystercatcher, shore plover, and Chatham Island shag.
e Hawaiian honeycreepers are a striking
example of adaptive radiation—over 30 species are believed to have evolved from a single
North American finch ancestor. Unfortunately, 14 of these unique species have already
gone extinct, the most recent likely being the
Po’o-uli in November, 2004. AZE bird species
on the Hawaiian Islands include the akeke’e,
puaiohi, akikiki, and the Maui ‘alauahio.
Threats
Humans arrived in Australia and the thenconnected island of New Guinea between
40,000 and 70,000 years ago. Species that
were vulnerable to human exploitation and
invasive species were driven to extinction soon
thereafter.
Introduced and invasive species remain a huge
problem in this region. e introduction of
rats, pigs, goats, feral cats, and mongooses has
had a devastating effect on small vertebrate
populations on many islands. In Hawai’i,
birds are also threatened by avian pox and
malaria, spread by introduced mosquitoes.
A classic example of an alien species invasion
is the inadvertent introduction of the brown
tree snake to Guam in the early 1950s. e
snake arrived on the island with military ships
and thrived there, eventually causing the
extinction of nine native bird species and all
endemic lizard species.
Total AZE sites in region: 66
Total AZE species in region: 85
Country with most AZE sites: Australia: 18
Site with most AZE species: Chatham Islands,
New Zealand, with 8
Only 57% of sites in the region are known to have
any legal protection
Kakapo Strigops habroptilus
New Zealand/Codfish Island
Photo by Don Merton
17
AZE Region Profile
Oceanic Islands
Biogeography
Threats
ree isolated oceanic islands are so far removed from continental land masses that they
deserve mention in this separate section. Two
are United Kingdom Overseas Territories:
Gough and Inaccessible Islands, which are
part of the South Atlantic’s Tristan da Cunha
group. Amsterdam Island, in the extreme
south of the Indian Ocean, belongs to France.
Maintaining the delicate ecological balance
of each of these AZE oceanic islands, and
preventing the introduction of new invasive
species are top conservation priorities.
AZE Species
On Gough Island, introduced house mice
are preying on seabird eggs and chicks,
including those of the
endangered Tristan
albatross. According
to researchers, there
are now approximately 700,000 mice on
Gough Island.
e AZE species found on these islands are
the Tristan and Amsterdam albatrosses and
spectacled petrel. Although the islands are
triggered by just these three species, each one
is also vitally important for a host of other
less endangered, but equally unique flora and
fauna, that have evolved from colonizing ancestors in perfect isolation over the millennia.
Amsterdam is the
most degraded of the
islands, with extensive deforestation,
large-scale historic
sealing operations,
and introduced cats
and rats.
Background photo/Mike Parr
Along with their biodiversity value, these “natural laboratories” are bleak, windswept, and
ruggedly beautiful sites that should be kept as
close to pristine as possible as a natural legacy
for the future.
ese species have developed in largely
predator-free environments. e introduction
of additional alien predators could lead to
sudden and disastrous population crashes.
Amsterdam albatross
Diomedea amsterdamensis
French territory/Plateau des
Tourbières, Amsterdam Island
Photo by Jean-Yves Georges
Total AZE sites: 3
Total AZE species: 3
Country with most AZE sites: United Kingdom: 2
Site with most AZE species: All have 1
100% of the sites have legal protection
Spectacled petrel Procellaria conspicillata
United Kingdom Overseas Territories/Inaccessible Island
Photo by Peter Ryan
18
Call to Action
T
he 595 sites identified by AZE are a vital part of our global
natural heritage, and a part that will soon be lost to us and to
our descendants unless we act now.
e 52 member groups of AZE call on the global conservation community,
national governments, corporations, academic institutions, private individuals,
and non-governmental organizations to help safeguard AZE sites as an urgent
global priority. Specifically:
 We invite all of the world’s governments that are the custodians of AZE
sites to work with us to fully safeguard those sites and the unique species
they contain.
 We call on funding and lending institutions to help provide the necessary
financial support to make AZE site conservation possible, and to avoid
supporting actions that would further endanger these sites.
 We invite the world’s scientists to help us further study AZE sites and
species, to rediscover those AZE species that have not been recorded recently and determine their conservation needs, and to continue building
and refining the list of AZE sites.
 We invite the zoo community to support on-the-ground conservation
projects, and to establish captive-breeding programs where needed, to
provide a lifeline for species that are on the verge of extinction.
Background photo/George Wallace
 We invite biodiversity conservation organizations to join AZE and to
develop projects and programs in collaboration with their national governments to safeguard the sites and species identified.
 We invite the public at large to provide financial support to projects and
organizations that safeguard AZE sites. To learn more about specific AZE
projects, and to obtain contact information for AZE member groups,
please visit www.zeroextinction.org.
Photos, top to bottom:
Araripe manakin
Antilophia bokermanni
Brazil/Chapada do Araripe
Photo © Paul Noakes/BirdLife International
Anegada ground iguana
Cyclura pinguis
British Virgin Islands/Anegada Island
Photo by Glenn Gerber, Zoological
Society of San Diego
Pygmy hog
Sus salvanius
India/Manas National Park
Photo by Goutam Narayan
19
AZE Member Groups
American Zoo and Aquarium Association
Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos
Association “Les Amis des Oiseaux”
Conservation Breeding
Specialist Group
Asociación Naymlap
CIPAMEX
CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH
FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES
IUCN Iguana Specialist Group
International Iguana
Foundation
Island Conservation
World Pheasant Association
Charles Darwin Foundation • Hawai’i Endangered Bird Conservation Program • Instituto Ecologia Applicata • NOÊ Conservation
Wildlife Conservation • Environmental Development Association of Ethiopia.
Alliance for Zero Extinction members are grateful to the following supporters:
American Bird Conservancy
American Zoo and Aquarium
Association
e Beneficia Foundation
BirdLife International’s Founder Patrons
and Rare Bird Club
Conservation International
Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund
Disney Foundation
Fauna & Flora International
20
Ben Hammett
e Regina Bauer Frankenberg
Foundation for Animal Welfare
e John D. and Catherine T.
MacArthur Foundation
MAVA Foundation
George Meyer
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Moore Family Foundation
National Audubon
National Science Foundation
NatureServe
e Nature Conservancy
US Department of State
Wildlife Conservation Society
World Parks
WWF
Cover photo:
Golden-crowned sifaka
Propithecus tattersalli
Madagascar/Daraina Forest
Photo by David Haring/Duke University Primate Center
is report was published by American Bird Conservancy (2005): www.abcbirds.org.